The separation of solutes from organic solvents is desirable in many processes. It would be useful to have a reverse osmosis membrane that was insoluble in all organic solvents, and showed a high rejection for various solutes. Such a membrane could be useful in purifying streams that would degrade or dissolve many other membranes.
Interfacially polymerized membranes were initially discovered in the 1970's for use in water desalination (see "In Situ-formed Condensation Polymers for Reverse Osmosis Membranes: Second Phase", North Star Research Institute, prepared for Department of the Interior, July 1974, available from NTIS, report #PB-234 198; "Continued Evaluation of In Situ-formed Condensation Polymers for Reverse Osmosis Membranes", Midwest Research Institute, prepared for Office of Water Research and Technology, April 1976, available from NTIS, report #PB-253 193; "Interfacially Synthesized Reverse Osmosis Membrane", U.S. Pat. No. 4,277,344, Jul. 7, 1981, assn. to Film Tec Corporation). Prior art only describes the use of these membranes for the separation of aqueous solutions by reverse osmosis. There is no mention of the use of these membranes for the separation of solutes from organic solvents by reverse osmosis.
Interfacially polymerized membranes are composed of a highly crosslinked and generally insoluble condensation polymer which is formed in situ on a micro-porous film. Most of these membranes are formed with di- or polyamines which are reacted with multi-functional iso-cyanates or acid chlorides. Amines react very readily with both of these reactants. Several of these membranes have been commercialized for water desalination purposes by companies such as UOP, Film Tec and Desalination Systems Inc. All of the commercial membranes use a polysulfone ultrafiltration membrane (0.02 to 0.1 micron pore size) for the microporous support film. Prior art does describe the use of some other microporous support films such as polyvinylchloride ultrafiltration membranes but none of the support films mentioned are particularly resistant to organic solvents.
These membranes are formed using the following procedures. A thin layer of a dilute solution of one component, usually an aqueous solution of the amine, is put on one side of the microporous support film. A thin layer of a dilute solution of the second component, usually in a water immiscible solvent, is then put on top of the water solution layer. The order of applying the solutions can be reversed. The two components react at the water/solvent interface forming a thin (less than 1 micron thick) highly crosslinked polymer layer. This polymer layer is the active layer of the membrane at which separation occurs. Some examples of formulations mentioned in the prior art are reacting polyethylenimine with toluene diisocyanate, reacting polyethylenimine with isophthaloyl dichloride and reacting m-phenylene diamine with trimesoyl chloride.
These membranes exhibit high salt rejections from water (&gt;95%). The commercially available membranes prepared on polysulfone ultrafiltration membranes are not suitable for separating solutes from organic solvents as these typically soften or dissolve polysulfone.